On Wednesday, February 26 I posted in a YarnBox thread about teaching kids to knit every Friday at our local Boys and Girls Club. What spawned from a post mentioning our weekly Knitting Club was the most amazing outpouring of love from a group of fellow knitters, crafters and yarn lovers.

Several women private messaged me wishing to help our club with supplies! All asked what the kids were in need of, how old they are, what we’re learning and were so excited to be members of our Knitting Club from afar!! Each refused compensation for shipping costs for the boxes they wished to send.

The kids from our Boys and Girls club come from varying socioeconomic backgrounds but the majority do not have the luxury of purchasing items for extracurricular activities or hobbies. The Boys and Girls Club itself also relies on grants and heavily on volunteers and donations from the public. I’m the only one instructing the group of kids and our supplies are minimal. We have a tote of various acrylic yarn and ribbon but we did not have needles or anything else. Very bare bones! I purchased needles for each child and also added to the stash of yarn for the Club. Knowing that others around the country wish to give to our kids so that they may learn and practice their new skill is incredible!

The group is approximately 10 children, ages 6-11 and we meet every Friday from 4-6pm. We started with learning to make slipknots, making a single chain with the slipknot, 4-fingerknitting, adding beads, and then starting with needles! Right now we’re transitioning between casting on and actually beginning to work rows of garter stitch. Some children are still working on their cast on while some advanced children have learned to purl and bind off!! They are incredible and learn so quickly, and never give up.

The Boys and Girls Club is a positive environment for the children, filled with many activities and resources for them. Most important to the Club’s operation is the Power Hour, where staff and volunteers assist club members with their homework. For completing homework, kids earn Power Points to spend at the end of the week on prizes and incentives in the Power Points Store! The Knitting Club children have asked if we can place yarn in the Power Points Store. This will be a great way for the kids to be encouraged to both complete their homework and continue their hobby at home, with yarn that they have earned with their own “money”!

I will be posting photos of the gifts we receive here. I will also mark the photo in the Copyright section with the Ravelry Name of the person who sent the items shown. We cannot thank you all enough! You all are so loved and appreciated!

Items Received:

2/28/2014 - 2 Large Priority Mail boxes with a wide variety of bases and colors of yarn, a huge selection of knitting needles, craft beads, bracelet material; you name it, it was in there!! Amazing! HUGE THANK YOU to madisonjersey!

3/4/2014 - 1 Large USPS box containing a wide variety of full skeins of yarn! 100% wool, sparkle yarn, mohair artyarn and thick and thin! Amazing variety the kids will love! HUGE THANK YOU to Deanamo!

3/5/2014 - 1 Large USPS box containing the best kid friendly colors of yarn possible! A wonderful note inside listed Cash Vero DK, HiKoo Worsted and Cascade 220 as the bases of the yarn included. HUGE THANK YOU to JessicaElle!

3/5/2014 - 2 Large Priority Mail boxes with an overwhelming variety of yarn brands, fibers and weights. Cascade, Berroco, Rowan, Malabrigo, Premier, Plymouth, Brown Sheep, and more! INCREDIBLE! HUGE THANK YOU to RedEliz!

3/6/2014 - 1 Gigantic Sized! box with an overwhelming amount of yarn. Included were super fun novelty yarns (that the kids will love!), acrylics, alpaca, and cotton in great kid-friendly colors. Also craft supplies like art scissors, a loom and Pom Pom makers! Finally, a sweet note thanking me/us for finding a home for all this yarn. So sweet. HUGE THANK YOU to Nic0lee!

I don’t know HOW five different people who didn’t coordinate with each other sent the most complete list of items for our club, but you all did! We have it ALL now, thanks to you! I cannot thank you all enough for the kindness you have shown these kids and the Glasgow, Kentucky Chapter of the Boys and Girls Club of America. I have a MASSIVE job ahead of me, to prep for our first Knitting Club with our new supplies. All five of you women, Mary, Deana, Jessica, Elizabeth and Nicole, should be so proud of yourselves for making a special place in your heart for these children! We have done so for you, and we are so thankful for your love and help!!

ADDITIONAL ITEMS RECEIVED

After the original donors had sent their items to me, Elizabeth (RedEliz) contacted me to say that her Sunday knitting group had additional items to donate to the kids! On 3/12/2014 a GIGANTIC box arrived at the house filled with individually wrapped donations from 4 more ladies. Incredible! I’ve included photos for each donation and I’ll itemize what we received in this package below:

From swordsandneedles - 10 hanks of yarn in various weights and colors! Patons, Rowan, KnitPicks, BabyBee and the softest Huacaya alpaca and angora blend EVER. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

From Judeh22 - 8 hanks of yarn in various weights and colors! Misti Alpaca, Opal, FibraNatura, Dotty Sheep, and Lamb’s Pride! Beautiful yarn! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

From sparksbarb02 - 1 hank of Caron Simply Soft in beautiful pastels. The kids LOVE the pastel yarn we have, this will be a hit. On 3/31/2014 I received another big box of yarn from sparksbarb02! Inside were brand new hanks of hand dyed wool, alpaca, Cascade 220, two gorgeous multicolor wool blend, 2 ruffle scarf yarn and beautiful cotton/linen blend! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

From celticengineer - 34 HANKS OF YARN!!! Wow! Nashua, Ella Rae, Cascade, Aslan Trends, Plymoth Baby Alpaca, Manos del Uruguay Maxima and Mirasol Hasa. This is some ridiculously incredible yarn. I am absolutely stunned! THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

celticengineer also wished to let me know that the Sweater Quantity of Araucania was a gift, for ME!, for arranging this project and for teaching the kids every week. This is AMAZING! I cannot thank you enough! It’s BEAUTIFUL and my favorite color. I promise to love it and when I knit it up, always remember the kindness showed to our club :)